Computer Searching Stimulates Older Brains


By Crystal Phend
LOS ANGELES, 20 oct 2008-- For Internet-savvy older adults, googling gets the neurons going better than reading straight text, researchers found.
Brain activity more than doubled during Internet searches compared with levels recorded when reading in book format (P<0.05),>

The greater mental stimulation may pay off by preventing age-related cognitive decline, the researchers said.
Few studies have confirmed this "use it or lose it" effect, and more research would be needed before physicians should recommend Internet research as a way to stave off aging of the brain, Dr. Small said.
But mental stimulation is reasonable to include along with lifestyle factors like cardiovascular exercise, stress reduction, and a healthy diet for older patients, he said.
There is no evidence that these activities are harmful and they may contribute to better quality of life, the researchers noted.
Their study included 24 neurologically normal adults ages 55 to 78 and randomized according to prior Internet and computer experience and self-rated Web searching expertise.
In a crossover design, the participants underwent functional MRI scans during computer simulations of either reading a book or doing a simple Google search.
Participants were told that they would be assessed for knowledge of the topic after both. Text and photographs were the same, only the layout changed.
Education level was similar between Internet-naive and Internet-savvy groups. None of the participants had dementia or had conditions or took medications that could affect cognition.
Net-naïve participants reported using computers once or twice a week but the Internet only once a month at most, whereas the other group used computers and the Internet at least once a day and rated themselves as having at least moderate expertise on the Web.
While reading, Net-naive participants had significant increases in activity in primarily left hemisphere regions of the brain, including the frontal, temporal, and parietal regions, as well as in the visual cortex, hippocampus, and posterior cingulate (all P<0.05). p="NS).">

Primary source: American Journal of Geriatric PsychiatrySource reference:Small GW, et al "Your Brain on Google: Patterns of Cerebral Activation During Internet Searching" Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2008.